Gunpei Yokoi was one of Nintendo's original star employees. His inventions made the company millions, with the Game & Watch series kick-starting a period of portable dominance for the firm which was cemented further by the launch of the insanely successful Game Boy - possibly Yokoi's most enduring legacy.

Sadly, Yokoi was killed in a traffic accident fifteen years ago at the age of 56. By this time, he had left Nintendo following the catastrophic commercial performance of his Virtual Boy console. September 10th 2012 marks what would have been Yokoi's 71st birthday, a day he was sadly never destined to see.

Whatever you're up to today, make sure you take a moment to remember just how huge a difference Yokoi's creations have made to your life - even if you're too young to remember the original Game Boy, all of the new handhelds you've played in your lifetime have been influenced by him in some way - and acknowledge his amazing contribution to the modern video game industry.

Damien has over a decade of professional writing experience under his belt, as well as a repulsively hairy belly. Rumours that he turned down a role in The Hobbit to work on Nintendo Life are, to the best of our knowledge, completely and utterly unfounded.

My dad used to play Tetris on my original Gameboy every afternoon in his truck while waiting to pick me up after school. Tetris on Gameboy is the ONLY game my dad has ever shown interest in. Thanks, Gunpei Yokoi for being awesome!!!

I'll remember Gunpei Yokoi for the rest of my life on the merits of Metroid alone, one of a few perfect storms in the history of gaming.

Was disappointed that Metroid wasn't mentioned in the article. I hope Metroid gets a rebirth of sorts with a knock-out-of-the-park title on the 3DS and/or Wii U. It needs a shot in the arm after the Metroid: Other M reactions.

It's gratifying to see Kid Icarus reinvented as its own thing. I'd also like to see that "go console" on the Wii U, but Smash Bros. seems to be forcing it to the back burner. A real shame as far as I'm concerned.

3DS is sort of Virtual Boy revisited and it's interesting that the 3D part isn't quite pushing things as much as the games and the power. I like 3D, but it just keeps coming up short. So sad that Gunpei Yokoi left Nintendo after that failure. Even this far out 3D isn't quite where it needs to be for mass acceptance. Higher frame rates and glasses-free without compromise is a tough nut to crack at this point. I remember "virtual reality" in the 90s. The potential was high and the concept was simple. The execution has been elusive and Gunpei Yokoi was in the middle of that with the Virtual Boy.

I did not remember this date. Yokoi is truly a legend, and he was Miyamoto's mentor. Incredible how seeing a guy fooling around with a calculator would lead to the creation of handheld gaming, truly a visionary.

Thank you so much, Mr. Yokoi, for providing inspiration to the many handheld consoles that followed after your creations. Consoles that gave birth to the best gaming era of my childhood, such as the GBA. Your work will forever live on in every Nintendo game we experience! Thank you!